The Art of Asking
by Foxes' Dreams
Summary: The passion they put in the relationship was vaguely familiar. When Cameron has a flashback that makes limbs go numb, how will she react and how will she absorb the fact that the wedding bells can be sensed as a deaf tone? Collection of college AU drabbles. *Set after 5x21 Saviors*
1. Chapter 1 - Acceptance

The Art of Asking

He gave her a quick, casual kiss on the cheek first. Then came the hug, and it was the hug that always made her heart mush. Serious grip, cheek to the hair, eyes closed just a little sway. His hugs mattered, she thought, and made him impossible to resist."  
>― Nora Roberts, <em>Savor the Moment<em>

_High school might or might not be the perfect place to start exploring; exploring the deep and unknown parts of the human feelings. It is considered to be the only life-lesson that teaches you how to endure and to make a failure look like a success. It was also described as the first moment of intense education. Many people tend to discover their future career. But, in front of a "happily ever after", is the obstacle, the trial that tries to set your wings free. It's simply called the freshman year. It's just the first layer of a multiple web. All you have to do is to find the absolute power to work and to defeat the first minutes of utter stress._

_Allison Cameron was one of the students that were trapped between two dirty-white walls; the class was filled with exceptionally-hard information. Her head was pounding intensely, so the cellular division was just a blur for her in that moment. She looked at her watch and started counting silently the seconds remained until the moment when her old, wrinkled teacher would tell them their additional homework for the upcoming hour. The next was going to be held the next day, so the clock was ticking. She just glanced at the long list of subjects she needed to prepare. Her reading lasted only a second, then exhaustion and sadness overwhelmed her. She was frustrated because she had to face the strongest effect of all ever known. She was seduced and then abandoned. She had been simply betrayed. But past needed to remain forgotten. She was finally tired of living in the past._

_Allison stared at the blackboard blankly, trying to copy at least the essential notions. She made the mistake of staying in the last desk, the only one that was isolated form the watchful eyes of her colleagues. Even though the classroom was the one owned by her form master, and she knew it by heart, she was still feeling strange, like she didn't belong in the science course. Maybe the feelings of distress were causing confusing states of mind. Only four desks in front of the petite brunette, stood Robert Chase, the cleverest guy from the whole promotion and most likely to become the perfect model of a life bathed in money and accomplishment. Rumors said that his career was already set; he was going to become a renowned surgeon –like his father had instructed him to-._

_In that moment, his biggest concern was the sad figure that was focusing on her scrabbled handwritten notes. He had heard about her mental breakdown, triggered by her hurt feelings. Maybe it was his business to console her; not just because she was one of his closest friends, his supreme reason was, in his mind, the link that he had always felt. He truly felt that people were cruel in that moment. From all the dates ever created in the calendar, all 365, the only one chose for her let down had to coincide with her birthday. This was the indication which showed that people are cold-hearted._

_He decided to act, so after the bell nervously rang, after all the present students had disappeared and after the biology teacher had left without saying a word, he stood up and began to walk, mobilizing his feet to move towards her. Allison sensed his presence, so she left her boring work and motioned slowly until she was equal to his height. They were just gazing into each other's eyes, admiring the tranquility they had always avoided. He cut off the long look that made their hearts race and reached for his back pocket and revealed a little bracelet which was composed by white and pink strands._

_"What's that?" Cameron inquired, hurt obvious in her eyes._  
><em>"Well, it's your birthday and I just thought it would be nice to give you something ...um, unique" Chase said, his insecurity visible as words left his mouth.<em>

_She just nodded and pursed his lips violently, and watched as Chase gently slid the bracelet on her wrist. They hugged moments later, his arms encircling her body and his forearms tracing a patter on her lower back. His arms were like two diagonals leaving a deep mark on her saddle. She kept one of her arms free, butted to her torso. The other one was caressing his neck, only inches delimiting the soft skin of their flushed cheeks. In that quiet twinkling, only a shaking, musical voice interfered and cracked that beautiful picture they were showing._

_"I think everything has a start and an end" Chase whispered in her tiny ear, trembling on the high inclusions he made._

_"Maybe this is a start" Cameron finished, leaving a slight trace of hope after her words._

_They separated, just for taking a good gulp of oxygen and also for taking a step back to protect their sanity, to realize that they are still trapped in reality._

_Their eye shots were still glued; they were letting themselves drown in the depth of their sincerity. They were just like a flower blossoming, pureness running through their veins._

_They broke apart and they started to hear noise appearing in the hallway. People were gathering around in group just to head towards the canteen or other labs. They needed to hurry in order to free the class because the chemistry course was going to start in a matter of minutes. For Cameron that meant she was going to be a complete mess after the day ends. She absently remarked Chase walking away, his head turned a little to the left. She just processed the happening and shacked herself back to reality, the dream was over. Maybe time will set everything in order._

_Definitely a new start…_

* * *

><p>Despite being 3 A.M., Allison was wide awake, the flashback sent chills to the entire body. At least she was smiling and had reminiscences about that first bond they experienced. She changed her position; she turned her back just to admire the sleeping figure that was lying peacefully on the soft mattress. She regained her posture, and then she admired the long-worn bracelet still hanging on her soft layer of skin. Her eyes trailed off, and spotted the little jewelry that accompanied her wristlet: a sparkling emerald surrounded by a circle of pave diamonds with baguettes on a platinum band, or simply an engagement ring.<p>

**Author's Note: **I've just watched the "Saviors" episode and this idea just hit me! Don't blame me, I get nostalgic at Christmas. Anyway, I really want to write about Chameron even in 2014 because I feel like their story is much more profound than it was shown in the show. Kisses and don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2 - Authority

Authority

"Authority, when first detecting chaos at its heels, will entertain the vilest schemes to save its orderly facade."  
>― Alan Moore, <em>V for Vendetta<em>

_The sun was shining brightly, utter hotness enveloping the students' bodies, making them look like an authentic model of unveiled nerves. June had already had sky-high temperatures, so to be studying in midday was a proper challenge for almost everyone._

_Allison Cameron's class was located on the first floor; the wide-open windows were letting heat enter the grand room without any little trace of indulgence towards the occupants of the chamber. Even her old and always-upset form teacher decided to leave all the students alone, offering the possibility to choose what they should do. The major part of them decided to play some stupid, childish games which caused loud laughs and booms to conquer the entire space._

_Since she was little, Allison had been a lonely and introverted person, that's why her favorite escape was a book read at the light of a candle; in that moment she could have imagined a steamy cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon lying next to her. A moment of complete leisure was perfect to discover the long-awaited finale of the novel which extorted every drop of energy from her veins. Her eyes were desperately looking for the last lines of the action; she was hooked, completely absorbed in the plot. The happy squeals that escaped her colleagues' mouths were just background music for her; she wasn't really paying any attention to the liberty and freedom that surrounded her._

_After long minutes of letting herself drown in the sea of dreams, she managed to renter the real world and to ascertain that her long and slim legs started to ache, and she needed to change her position or to try to walk around and experience a bit of the "happiness fair" that was going on at that moment. When her feet touched the chafed ground, she wondered why she hadn't realize earlier that staying on two desks with the legs up shouldn't be the best way to relax. She walked numbly until she reached her seat and started to dig nervously in her handbag for her bottle of apple juice which looked like was lost in the terrible turmoil. Behind her back the morph turned into a funny contest that required a long rubber band and two people that would actually jump for one full minute. She started to hear the loud sounds that the band produced when it would hit the soil. It looked like a really long whip that was selected from a lousy action movie that involved some pretty women dancing around the main character –cliché-._

_Intentionally, she made her way in the room, until she reached the spot where the noisy tramples were almost unsupportable. She just stood there, mesmerized, completely trapped in a past flashback of her childhood, when her favorite activity was the jump rope; she practiced that game until her feet would have been too sore to even move around. Cameron admired the harmonic sequence of fast steps, like she was visualizing the complex paces of a waltz. She was attracted to that foolish game and unconsciously she wanted to take part of it. The rhythm started to increase, so she didn't even sense the fact that a male figure appeared behind her._

_"So, are you enjoying the time-off?" an Australian accent inquired, smiling broadly._

_Cameron turned to face the speaker, and was surprised to see that Robert Chase was actually talking to her, after the odd circumstances that made her heart melt last week._

_"Yeah, definitely!" she answered sharply, pitching her voice a little over the limit._

_Chase studied her for a second and then he decided to go and show her that his charming and funny side really exists behind the mask of a nerdy boy._

_"I've never seen someone so thrilled in front such a puerile game" he said and aligned himself with her, so that he was seeing only the left side of her face and the aesthetical curve of her little nose._

_"I think about my childhood when I see a jump rope. I can't help my excitement!" she confessed, looking like a 5-year old experiencing for the first time a brand new "hide and seek" version._

_"Well, I can jump with you, if you don't have an actual partner" he half-joked, receiving from her a pair of wide-open eyes that were expressing naturally her surprise._

_"Well, let's see if you can keep the rhythm, little Aussie" she shot back in a playful manner._

_"I've learned a lot just by studying kangaroos" he responded, picturing a face filled by adrenaline. This time, she just glanced at him and then started to laugh wholeheartedly, masking her small teeth with her right palm. "Let's play, then!" she exclaimed on an alarming speed._

_They took a step forward and waited patiently for the last pair to finish their exercise. Her colleagues' jaws were wide-open in surprise to see them doing something new and involving in the same time a little romance and effort._

_In a blink of an eye, one of the holders of the rope had a moment of non-attention and his hand slipped almost entirely, so finally the rope started to balance free. Unluckiness strike exactly in that second and both the bodies were harmed in that incident. Cameron and Chase let out a yelp of pain, they had been hit by the gum rope, and their skin was hurting immensely. When they looked up at each other, they realized that Robert's injury was far worse than her. He had a bloody and bruised ulcer on his upper eye lid and he was definitely struggling to stop the quick flow of blood. Cameron, on the other side, had two deep, purple-colored scratches on both her tights._

_After they found an oasis of tranquility, she started mending his lesion. Once in a while, he let out a deaf sound of sorrow, and also a flinch that showed his strong and embossed reflexes._

_"Are you sure you are okay?" she asked, looking quite worried._

_"I'm fine; you did a great job on bandaging. How about going to nurse school?" he said, revealing the fact that his sense of humor was far away from being dead._

_"Not for me. Are you okay?" she asked again; the pressure on her heart started to ease slowly._

_"I'm fine, I promise. Now, let's go to the physics class until someone will start rumors" he said, pleased with the fact that they got to be involved in this together._

_She smiled back and she lifted herself from the seating position she had stood. Wordlessly, she left the classroom with her unspoken thoughts buried deep in her mind._

* * *

><p>Allison quickly grabbed the bottle of alcohol and some cotton walls before heading back to the kitchen where her husband-to-be was leaning on the counter.<p>

"I really don't understand how you manage to cut the same finger every time you try to cook a fancy dinner" she said, frustration rushing through her veins.

"Well, it's not my fault that I want to charm the woman sitting in front of me" he said and then painted a nice grin on his face. Moments later, he let out a small and almost unrecognizable noise cause by the intense tingling.

"Romeo, keep your sweet words for the vows" she responded, laughing slightly, the sound seemed to be alike a harmonic tinkle.

"I've already written them" he stated proudly as he watched his fiancée finishing the bandage by adding one last plaster.

"I'm impressed! Well, I think I should let you deal with the flower arrangement if you are so prepared. And let me finish the sauce, I really need you whole for the wedding" she joked and gently place one of her soft palms on his cheek.

"I still think that nurse school was for you" he alluded to the happy memory that he remembered exactly as it happened year ago.

She laughed and she was fully aware of the fact the her lonely and much too harmed soul came in contact with its kindred spirit and found the balance we are all aspiring to.

**Author's Note:** I really enjoy writing about college!Chameron, so I'm thinking about turning this fanfic into a collection of drabbles. I think 10 chapters will be enough. I won't post them regularly because my science course sometimes keeps me up until night, so I don't have proper time to write. Anyway, I hope that a resurrection of the Chameron relationship in 2015 is really refreshing. Kisses and don't forget to review! :*


	3. Chapter 3 - Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement

"I saw something I could never forget. I saw lifetimes of acknowledgement, fear, wisdom, questioning, and understanding in a child's eye."

- Shannon A. Thompson, _November Snow_

If you feel insecure, you fall apart and hardly hit the ground. That's a matter of physics. But what happens when someone's starting to become your motivation? What if a person simply walks into your life and turns everything upside down? The same person as you are -an almost perfect reflection- enters your quiet and peaceful existence and suddenly finds a way to mess with your thoughts. That moment is defined as a climax and finally you start to realize that your world isn't falling apart anymore.

Allison Cameron had been assigned to stay in a far-cornered bench. Her mind was a blur of memorized pages and words which started to intermingle. She pursed her lips in frustration. A throbbing headache made her whole self agonizingly flinch as she tried to remember the complicated definition of the immunosuppresses, a notion she had never understood, in fact. Quickly, she started questioning herself why she chose biology in the first place. Geometry has been her passion she the first she learned to solve a vectorial problem without any additional help. "Addison's disease is a rare, chronic endocrine system disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient steroid hormones" she tried to summarize in one quick sentence.

She kept her eyes wide-closed, focusing on all the details she used to know and frequently use. Her eyelids were almost indistinguishable, they could have been described as an irregular line that crossed her upper part of her face and caused wrinkles to appear. She passively mimed a convulsion when she had been startled by a thick male voice deliberately talking louder that the allowed and comfortable limits.

"Is this place occupied?" he inquired as she smiled confidently. He has always been the type who managed to mask his emotions every time it was possible. He was the perfect portrait of a future resident; he had never showed any traces of doubt or insecurity.

"No, of course not. You can stay" Cameron pleaded in response and made the gesture to remove the dark-purple jacket that was unstrategically placed on the back of the wooden chair.

Chase sat down with a loud thump and shifted nervously until he got comfortable. She studied him attentively in order to find a hint of worriedness. After long minutes of silence, she gave up and spoke for the first time, encouraging the whole conversation to develop.

"So, you chose biology?" she asked, feeling her voice tremble. Her vocal cords were almost completely numb.

"Actually, I've been having a crush on physics lately. I chose it over biology" Chase confessed, looking straight into her light-blue eyes, thing that determined Cameron to lower her gaze. This reaction Cameron had developed in years. Every time she felt pressured or sprouted, she would have retreat her tiny body in a cocoon, muting the all the silent cries of angriness.

"I assume you chose biology" Chase continued, slightly gesturing toward Cameron to lift her eyes. He barely touched the soft skin of her chin with his fingertips. The young student felt Cameron tense under her touch, and rapidly concluded that something was off.

"I did, yes. I horribly regret right now" she answered, once again lowering her eyes until she blankly stared at the dirty floor that was accompanied by some litter she spotted in the first lines of desks.

"Why would you say that?" Chase asked, pitching his voice. Contradictory theories were rushing through his system. "Biology is one of the school objects you excel at" Chase whispered, heartily trying to make her regain her posture.

"Are you sure it's real what you say?" Cameron asked back, trying to light up the heaviness that was placed against her shoulders.

"Because I've never seen you fail. You fight until it's right. That's why you try so hard. You imagine yourself helping dying patient. You want to be that person who tends to make everybody happy. I truly admire your will to mend broken souls. You want to take a good grade just because it would mean you're one step closer to your destiny. It's understandable" Chase finished with a loud sigh and carefully placed his palm over her white and scratched knuckles.

"Do you think that about me?" Cameron wanted to know, turning her head in desk mate's direction. When she saw only hope and sincerity flooding his eyes, she mentally decided that his speech was his whole opinion about her turning and pendulous personality.

"Just take a deep breath and concentrate. You are able to defeat this obstacle, too. Just close your eyes and focus on this last task" Chase murmured in order not to be heard by all the other scared students. He saw the exam topics enter the large laboratory. Finally, Cameron recovered her temper and inhaled deeply.

The exam started and Chase read only once all the mathematical subject and quickly glanced at Cameron who was already calculating the number of nucleons from the first problem. "One step closer to what she wants" he thought internally, before returning to his formulas and equations.

After the exam was finished and all the students had gone out of the stressful aura, Chase stood outside the classroom, waiting for a heaven sign that the results were already displayed.

"I should have recorded your speech from today and play over and over again when we will have another test. Thank you!" a female voice remarked, letting her hot breath canoodle his ear lobe.

"For nothing! Don't relax too much, tomorrow is the chemistry one" he replied eagerly, smiling broadly and revealing his cute dimples.

"If that's so, I'll keep you a seat right next to me" she said before distancing a few feet.

He witnessed her traversing the hallway and simply plastered a boyish grin across his face before leaving in order to welcome another sleepless night.

Dr. Robert Chase arrived home to find a dim light surrounding the condo. There was a deadly silence in almost every corner. He omitted the small lamp shining intermittently in the living room. He felt his arms sore after a full schedule of surgeries which required precision and care. He started panicking when he realized that his wife-to-be was nowhere to be found. He quietly entered the bedroom to find only some blonde strands coming out from a nest built by fluffy blankets.

Immediately, his hands went to brush them with such love and attention like he was touching pure gold. His soft movements stirred her awake. Her soft face was flushed with tears, some of them completely dried, others kept flooding her reddish cheeks at full speed.

"Hey, you're home!" she exclaimed faintly, her voice almost unrecognizable; it looked like a mild tinkle with only some higher notes.

"What happened? Why were you…?" Chase started, but before he could inquire another fact, she threw her whole body in his arms, and he quickly encircled her waist with his forearms. He ran his palms across her back in a soothing manner.

"I'm glad you are here" she confessed, amplifying her voice above the level of a whisper. "I have doubts and I'm scared" she confessed quickly before burying her head deeper into her lover's shoulder. She just needed to fell his reassuring touch and endless encouraging words.

Chase's heart skipped a beat and before jumping to conclusions, he carefully retreated his body so that he was gazing straight into her eyes.

"What if this won't work?" she asked quietly, and let go of one little tear that was filled with the essence of all her negative thought. She felt it burn her cheek like the pressure of her insecurities was going to determine his soul to collapse.

"I promise you here and now that I won't leave your side no matter how engrave the situation will be. Consider this wedding only a confirmation of our trust, which is not going to end. This nuptial will be just something formal because we have already said our vows so many times. And think how happy we will be in the honeymoon, lying on the hot sand and staying awake just to admire the stars. The future will show that the best is yet to come" Chase spoke, revealing all the feeling he had felt since the moment this blonde figure entered his life and managed to discover the truthful and faithful man that hides behind the mask of an adamantly surgeon.

Cameron nodded nervously and pictured a weak smile on her face; she felt lips immobilized, but she found the strength to push the limits of comfort and show a hint of reassurance. She felt overwhelmed by all the affection she could have ever got. With one simple and tactical move she managed to throw Chase against the soft pillows.

"You really have talent at composing speeches" Cameron stated and lounged to plant a firm kiss on his neck.

"I haven't changed so much and you're still the same scared cat" he joked and responded with a peck on her hairline.

Cameron sighed and let herself drift back to sleep. Her vivid and intense dreams stroke again and before she could have attained, she took an imaginary trip back in time, just to witness them sharing the same doze of potassium nitrate at the chemistry trial.

**Author's Note**: Finally holiday! I'm really determined to finish this series within a week! :* Thanks for the continuous support! I'm glad I can revive some of the nicest Chameron moments even in 2015. Don't forget to stay tuned! R&R


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